Massimo d'Azeglio

Massimo d'Azeglio (24 October 1798-15 January 1866) was Prime Minister of Sardinia-Piedmont from 7 May 1849 to 4 November 1852, succeeding Claudio Gabriele de Launay and preceding Count Cavour. He was a leader of the conservative Destra Liberale party.

Biography
Massimo d'Azeglio was born in Turin, Piedmont, Sardinia-Piedmont on 24 October 1798, and he became a historical writer and a member of the artistic community of Milan. During the first war of independence in 1848, d'Azeglio donned the Papal uniform and served under General Giovanni Durando during the defense of Vicenza from Austria, being wounded in the process. D'Azeglio became a war hero, and he was invited to form a cabinet as Prime Minister of Sardinia-Piedmont on 7 May 1849. D'Azeglio was a prominent leader of the right wing of the Destra Liberale party, and he hoped for a federal union between the Italian states. He consolidated the parliamentary system, worked hard for a peace treaty with the Austrian Empire, and sought to reduce the power of the Catholic Church in local affairs, and he introduced freedom of worship, abolished religious censorship, and took control of schools away from the church. In 1852, he retired due to ill health, and he suggested Count Cavour as his successor. He served as a Senator from 1853 until his 1866 death.